As co-founders of fragrance brand, Lilin+Co, Julie Yim and her husband, Marcus, are familiar with activating the senses to unwind and get a good night’s sleep. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Julie and Marcus are also fans of Sunday Bedding and have had our sheets in their sleep arsenal for a while now.

Known for the unique scents and minimal design of their hand-poured soy candles, Lilin+Co recently expanded into their current studio space, which also operates as a retail space. They’ve also introduced a trio of scents for sleep, after many customers came to them for recommendations to ease anxieties and insomnia at the height of the pandemic.

It’s only fitting that we take a peek into their studio, and catch up with Julie about how scent bridges work and rest for her.

A hard day's work with Julie and Tobias, the Lilin+Co counterpart to Sunday Bedding's feline quality control officers, Fishball and Baby Brown.

As co-founder, I’m hands-on when it comes to the daily operations. Our new space is 3 times the size of our previous workspace, and our whole team and operations are in a single space. This allows me to be more hands-on with both the retail front and at the back.

I might go from fulfilling orders in the morning before moving on to emails in the afternoon. Occasionally, I serve customers at the retail front, especially during peak season. I also train new team members, meet with potential partners, plan launches, and strategise and manage our social media content.

Comfort is a huge factor at work, especially when it comes to my wardrobe. As I’m constantly moving around, carrying boxes or just being on my feet the whole day, I try to stay comfortable at work dressed in jeans, sneakers and t-shirts.

No two days look the same for Julie — some days she might be serving customers in Lilin+Co's new showroom...

...while other days she mightbe found producing or fulfilling orders at the back.

I love how scents transport me back to different phases in my life. Sweet, fruity scents remind me of my teenage years, when I bought my first perfume bottle. To me, sweeter scents represent the naivety of my adolescent years. Meanwhile, when I first started working, I developed a fondness for warm, musky scents. Those will always remind me of my first step towards adulting and independence.

For Julie, scent is like a journal; a way of keeping and returning to different memories.

My favourite routine right now is to light a candle in the bathroom at night, before I take a shower and put on my skincare. This routine helps me unwind and recentre myself before the day ends. When the weather is cold and rainy, I tend to reach for heavier, woody based scents. When it’s hot and sunny, I lean towards lighter, fresher scents.

I’m testing new scents out. Such is the reality of running a candle company. I’m constantly testing 3 to 4 new scents at one go before we decide to launch them. Other than that, we light candles when we’re entertaining at home.

Candles are a key part of Julie's wind down routine, but she tends to reach for new scents she's developing for Lilin+Co, rather than tried and true favourites.

It was my husband and co-founder, Marcus, who first introduced me to Sunday Bedding back in 2019. He was looking for quality bed sheets for a good night’s sleep when he came across Sunday Bedding online. At that time, it wasn’t easy to find white sheets with an affordable price tag.

Now that we’re newlyweds, we unanimously agree that Sunday Bedding’s sheets are one of our top favourites, especially after trying out numerous other bedding brands in the market. The sheets have been through multiple wash cycles and they are still as soft as ever.

With days spent moving across the studio floor, between different types of work, it's inevitable that Julie prioritises comfort at work and unwinding at home.

Julie wears the French Linen Easy Tank Top in Seafoam Green and the Bamboo Sateen Everyday Pants in Seaglass Blue.

Soothe both your sense of smell and touch for a calming bedtime ritual. We’re giving a Sunday Loungewear top and bottom from Sunday Bedding and a Newbie Bundle from Lilin+Co to one lucky winner — head over to Instagram to participate.

If you’re ordering from Malaysia or Singapore, take 10% off your online orders at Lilin+Co with the code LILINCOXSUNDAY, only from 27 April to 11 May 2022. The code is available for orders over RM60, for one use per customer.